Climate Action Plan Overview
The City of San Mateo is preparing a community-wide Climate Action Plan (CAP) that will update and consolidate the City’s existing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Reduction Plan, Climate Action Plan for Municipal Operations and Facilities, and Sustainable Initiatives Plan based on the vision of San Mateo residents, businesses, and local government. The City’s goal is to prepare a Climate Action Plan that will serve as an updated and Qualified GHG Reduction Strategy consistent with Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) GHG Plan Level Guidance and CEQA Guidelines, Section 15183.5. Development of the CAP will engage the Sustainability Commission, staff, and the community.

A CAP is a comprehensive strategy for a community to reduce emissions of GHGs, which are responsible for causing climate change according to scientific consensus. The CAP will include five key pieces:

1.An inventory of the annual GHG emissions attributable to San Mateo based on the types of activities occurring within the community and guidance from various protocols and agencies. The City will have inventories of emissions for 2005 and 2010.
2.A forecast of what GHG emissions are likely to look like at a future year, based on expected population and economic growth.
3.A reduction target, which identifies a goal for reducing GHG emissions by a set year.
4.Reduction strategies, which describe the actions the community intends to take to achieve the reduction target. Each strategy should identify the amount of GHGs that will be reduced once the strategy is implemented. The project will also estimate benefits of existing programs.
5.An implementation and monitoring program to track progress toward the reduction target and the status of the reduction strategies. A CAP Consistency Checklist for future development projects is included in the implementation program.

The project will also include environmental review consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act and a General Plan Amendment.

The CAP will build on the community’s progress on sustainability initiatives. The CAP will integrate both new opportunities and effective programs from the previous documents. The CAP will include revisions of the technical analyses in the existing GHG Emissions Reduction Plan, SIP and Municipal CAP, and will address local, regional, and state GHG reduction measures that have been implemented since the GHG Reduction Plan was adopted in 2010. The CAP will rely on the most up-to-date guidance, methods, and science to identify sources of GHGs and develop strategies to reduce emissions.

The reduction measures in a CAP can help community members save money on utility and fuel bills, contribute to the local economy, promote a healthy and active lifestyle, and conserve and protect natural resources, among other advantages. A Qualified GHG Reduction Strategy will allow for streamlined review of greenhouse gas emissions for future development projects that are consistent with the CAP.

Residents and business owners of San Mateo will have an important role in the development of the unified CAP. The City has recently formed a Sustainability Commission, which is tasked with advising the City Council on sustainability-related policy and making recommendations as appropriate. The City will host opportunities for community members to learn about the CAP process and to provide input on the development of GHG reduction measures.